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Tag: ISA

  • BARC India to install 30% of total barometers in rural India

    BARC India to install 30% of total barometers in rural India

    MUMBAI: The Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC India) is ensuring that it accurately captures ‘what India watches’ and hence is putting in resources to cover not just urban, but rural India as well. In keeping with this, the research body is installing approximately 30 per cent of its ‘barometers’ (people meters) in rural India.

     

    But how will BARC India ensure credible ratings, considering the constant power cuts in rural India? Answers BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta, “Our meters have an inherent capability to store data for up to two months, so in case there are power cuts, we are secure.” The research body is also planning to have 10 per cent buffer homes which will enable them to reduce data vagaries due to any such factor.   
     

    “It is obviously difficult to reach across the rural parts of India, however, it has been a mandate for BARC India to capture ‘what India watches’ and hence it is important to cover that part of India as well,” adds Dasgupta. 

     

    BARC India, is currently busy with its roadshows, where the body is meeting with broadcasters, advertisers, media agencies and consultants, clarifying their doubts and questions. “We are delighted with the positive feedback we have received. People are receptive to change to a system which they believe will be much more robust and reliable,” says Dasgupta.  
     

    The purpose of the roadshows being held in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai is to share with the larger group of stakeholders, BARC India’s current progress, thoughts on sample design and reporting structure. “These sessions enable us to understand the needs of our end customers more closely which will ensure us to fast track the last mile,” he informs.
     

    The roadshows saw discussions looming around the status of the project to-date, initial thoughts on reporting and broad sample designs being presented to the stakeholders.

     

    BARC India is currently testing meters across various parts of India in the most rugged conditions. So by when will the data be rolled out? “The data is being captured for our internal analysis and this will not be published,” he informs. 
     

    Talking about the feedback from the stakeholders, Dasgupta says, “We have got a very positive response. The proof of this lies in the fact that almost Rs 100 crore has been invested additionally by the broadcasters in installing embedders and related systems. They would not have done it if they didn’t believe in the technology selected.”

    BARC India is developing its system on a future ready technology “which is two generations ahead than what is being used currently,” he informs.
     

    The body has closed deals with 26 vendor partners across 12 processes involved in the broadcast measurement system, who will contribute to the different moving parts of the system. Giving an update on the current status of the measurement body, Dasgupta informs that most of the bigger networks and channels have ordered their watermark embedders and most of them are installed or being installed. The playout monitoring systems are being tested. The sampling design is almost complete. “We are taking feedback from the stakeholders through a series of roadshows that we are doing,” he says.  

    He further adds, “You will appreciate that this will be the largest such audience measurement system globally with cutting edge technology. This requires serious technology and process handshakes all over and then testing. All this is currently underway.”

    The audience measurement body which underwent a logo change recently has been subscribed by 250 channels already. “The numbers are going up every week and there has been a smooth progress on installations as well,” adds Dasgupta.

     

    BARC India will provide data to Doordarshan as well.

  • ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    MUMBAI: The newly elected executive council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on 11 September and elected Marico’s managing director Saugata Gupta as its new chairman.

     

    He takes over from Hemant Bakshi as he relocates to Unilever Indonesia as the CEO.

     

    Gupta has been lending his support to the ISA for a long time as his colleagues from senior levels in marketing and media have been active in different committees of the ISA.  An MBA from IIM Bangalore, Gupta has rich FMCG experience of over two decades having worked through ascending career rung in Cadbury (India & UK), ICICI Prudential & Marico. Currently, MD of Marico, he believes in an empowering work culture that would create ownership and make a difference in to the entire business ecosystem.

     

    Gupta said, “Our focus would be on making industry partnership stronger and in particular to extend all support that is needed to help BARC come up as soon as possible with industry wide accepted and accurate TV audience research data representing viewers across the country. I am looking forward to the exciting times ahead for Advertisers, industry partners and fraternity associations to work as a stronger team to harness overall growth of advertising which in turn will help grow businesses and the Indian economy.”

     

    The ISA has advertiser members from across industries who contribute to over two-thirds of the country’s national non-governmental ad spends.  ISA, which is member of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), continues to partner with other industry bodies that connect to the advertisers such as initiating the formation of BARC.

     

    Other members of the Executive Council are:

     

    Tata Services Group Corporate Communications Corporate Affairs VP Atul Agrawal

     

    Thomas Cook (India) Marketing and Service Quality head and chief innovation officer Abraham Alapatt

     

    Agro Tech Foods director Narendra Ambwani

     

    Bajaj Corp Business Development director Jimmy R Anklesaria

     

    Infogain India director JC Chopra

     

    Raymond strategic advisor Paulomi Dhawan

     

    Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care brand director Sonali Dhawan

     

    Aditya Birla Management Corporation Group Corporate Services and Strategy director Rajiv Dube

     

    Godrej Consumer Products chief operating officer – Sales, Marketing & SAARC Sunil Kataria

     

    Bajaj Electricals vice president & head advertising and brand development Beena Leji Koshy

     

    Tata Global Beverages managing director and CEO Ajoy K Misra

     

    Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

     

    Mondelez India Foods Chocolate Category and Media director Siddhartha Mukherjee

     

    Birla Sun Life Asset Management independent director Bharat V Patel

     

    ITC divisional chief executive Sanjiv Puri

     

    Nestle India Communication head Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan

     

    Polycab Wires vice chairman, joint MD and group CEO R Ramakrishnan

     

    Hindustan Unilever Personal Care Products executive director Samir Singh

     

    Hawkins Cookers chairman Brahm Vasudeva

  • Will work closely with IBF and ISA to meet BARC deadlines: Ambi

    Will work closely with IBF and ISA to meet BARC deadlines: Ambi

    An advertising person constantly strives to connect market research data to insights to come up with a winning campaign and who better to understand it than MG Parameswaran aka Ambi. The brain behind the transformation of Ulka Advertising into Draftfcb Ulka Group (now FCB Ulka), the former IIT-ian with a sharp wit and a way with words knows his subject at the back of his hand.

     

    The man, who has seven books to his credit in which he has penned down insights from his 35 year long working career in advertising, is the new president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

     

    The newly elected executive council will meet in next 10 days and as he takes charge for the year 2014-2015, Indiantelevision.com’s Meghna Sharma speaks to him on the key focus areas, awards and much more…

     

    Excerpts…

     

    What are the five things you will focus on as the new AAAI president?

     

    The new elected executive council will meet to deliberate on what should be the key initiatives, but from the top of my head, I think we need to move on the following points with speed:

     

    – AAAI will literally move to its new office in the next six months; this is a spacious office located mid-town. We will create facilities for our member agencies to use (for outstation agency members it can be a big boon).

     

    – AAAI will endeavour to work closely with IBF and ISA to ensure that the BARC deadlines are met and we have a world-class television measurement system in place soon.

     

    – AAAI will try to help member agencies face the challenges of the future; targeted seminars and workshop on the business of advertising will be a priority going forward; but first we will ascertain the demand for such programs.

     

    – Talent development at the grassroot level will be a priority; we will see if we can leverage the online medium to help reach top class training to smaller cities and towns of our country.

     

    – AAAI has played a vital role in the development of sister organisations; we will endeavour to build strong bridges to all the other industry organisations including ISA, IBF, INS, Ad Club, IAA, IMAI, Outdoor Association, Radio Association, Cinema Association etc.

     

    To sum it up, we will ensure that AAAI serves the purpose of all its member agencies, big and small, in big cities and in small cities and help them stay vibrant and profitable, play a more meaningful role in helping their clients and the society at large.

     

    In the next year, what will be the focus area – seminars or awards – for the organisation?

     

    Awards were never the be-all and end-all of the AAAI. Unfortunately, that gets the maximum media coverage. Many things that AAAI does, like helping member agencies collect outstanding amounts from clients or helping media organisations collect their rightful dues are not as exciting to write and read about. Further, many of these are really in the private domain. AAAI is an industry body set up the help ad agencies do their business better, serve clients better and do well. Towards this end AAAI has held workshops, created forums and also hosted award shows. We will continue to do all that.

     

    In the recent past, many objections have been raised regarding obscenity in advertisements. Do you think there is a need for stricter rules?

     

     All ads have to follow the norms laid down by society. AAAI was one of the founding partners of ASCI and I think ASCI, in the last few years has made its process a lot more efficient and effective. All the big advertisers have signed off that ASCI will have the last word. Similarly all media organisations have agreed to abide by the ASCI rulings.

     

    Obscenity can come at you from any category, undergarments, perfumes etc. If readers feel any specific ad needs to be pulled off they should complain to ASCI. The process is well laid out on its website.

     

     Having said that, let me reiterate, an ad has to be measured against what is prevalent in society at large. At one time no Hindi movie showed a man and a woman kissing. That has become a norm today, and some heroes / heroines are vying to set new records. The society is also changing rapidly enabled by the rampant spread of digital medium. So our standards for measuring ads should also become more flexible. What was obscene 10 years ago may not be seen as obscene today. One needs to factor in the variable that consumers are not morons; they do see ads with a tinted pair of spectacles, especially ads that promise miraculous results, like deos.

     

    Finally, it is ASCI’s turf to decide what they think is permissible and what is not.

     

    Also, how do you plan to get back the lost glory of Indian awards?

     

    Awards play a useful purpose to motivate young people to stay engaged in the advertising industry. There is nothing to beat the joy of receiving an award in front of your industry peers. AAAI will work closely with Ad Club to ensure that we have a transparent mechanism in the jury process. Efforts will be made to ensure all the key agencies participate in the Awards. Please remember the Abby Awards belongs to Ad Club and has a wonderful history backing it. That will not be allowed to fade away.

  • Hemant Bakshi is elected chairman of the ISA

    Hemant Bakshi is elected chairman of the ISA

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever Limited’s Hemant Bakshi has been elected the chairman of the ISA. The newly elected executive council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on 11 September.

    HUL executive director, home and personal care Hemant takes over from Kurush N. Grant.

    On his election as chairman of ISA, Hemant said “We are going through a challenging period and it is crucial that ISA along with other associate members works towards sustainable growth of the industry”.

    Hemant has been lending his support to the ISA for a long time. An MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Hemant has been recognised for his thought leadership in customer development and marketing in the industry. He is also the chairman of The Indian Soaps and Toiletries Manufacturers Association, a board member of Advertising Standards Council of India and is on the board of BARC, a nodal body for the advertisers, advertising agencies and broadcasters in the country. Apart from being a marketer, Hemant is also a sportsman. He runs marathons and is a passionate golfer.

    Former chairman, Grant continues to be on the executive council. He was acknowledged for his substantial contribution as the chairman. Grant on his part, reassured the ISA of his continuous support and participation.

    Hemant Bakshi believes its important to work towards sustainable growth of the industry

    The new chairman Hemant said he is looking forward to the new exciting year and expressed his wishes to take forward initiatives such as the BARC formation.

    The ISA is the only national body giving a voice to advertisers over the last 60 years. It has members from across industries who contribute to over two-thirds of the country’s national non-governmental ad spends. Over the years, the ISA has upheld advertisers’ issues, recent examples being that of TRP frequency, HD feed ad, Reinforcement of Self-Regulation, Participation in Consumer Forums and formation of BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council). The ISA has also partnered with other industry bodies that connect to the advertisers.

    Other members of the executive council are:

    Atul Agrawal, Vice President – Corporate Affairs, Group Corporate Affairs and Media, Tata Services Ltd., Mumbai.

    Abraham Alapatt, Head – Marketing,Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., Mumbai.

    Narendra Ambwani, Director, Agro Tech Foods Ltd., Secunderabad.

    Jimmy R. Anklesaria, Director – Business Development, Bajaj Corp Ltd., Mumbai.

    Mohit Beotra, Chief Brand Officer – India, Bharti Airtel Ltd., Gurgaon.

    J. C. Chopra, Director, Infogain India Private Limited, Noida, U.P.

    Paulomi Dhawan, Director, Landmarc Leisure Corporation Limited, Mumbai.

    Sonali Dhawan, Marketing Director, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd., Mumbai.

    Rajiv Dube, Director, Group Corporate Service, Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd., Mumbai.

    Kurush N. Grant, Executive Director, ITC Limited, Kolkata.

    Sunil Kataria, Chief Operating Officer – Sales, Marketing & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., Mumbai.

    Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Gurgaon.

    Siddhartha Mukherjee, Director – Chocolate Category and Media, Cadbury India Limited, Mumbai.

    Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, New Delhi.

    Bharat V. Patel, Board Member, Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co.Ltd., Mumbai.

    Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Vice President – Communications, Nestle India Ltd, Gurgaon.

    R. Ramakrishnan, Group CEO, Polycab Wires Pvt. Ltd.,Mumbai.

    Shipra Tripathi, Vice President, Corporate Global Marketing, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd., Pune.

    Brahm Vasudeva, Chairman, Hawkins Cookers Ltd., Mumbai.

  • Broadcasters delighted; want I&B minister to push through ad cap delay

    Broadcasters delighted; want I&B minister to push through ad cap delay

    MUMBAI: With just a little more than two months left for the 12 minute per clock hour advertising cap to be implemented, the broadcast industry is applauding Minister of Information & Broadcasting Manish Tewari’s recommendation. The minister has reportedly stated that the ad cap deadline should be moved ahead to December 2014 from 1 October 2013 as suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

     

    Times Television Network MD and CEO Sunil Lulla feels that the recommendation is in sync with reality. “From a news broadcasters’ point of view, we have put forward similar thoughts many a times with concerned bodies. Considering the difference between cost of production and the revenue generated, it would be better if news broadcasters’ were allowed to self regulate. We hope that the request is heard,” he anticipates.

     

    Similarly, a senior official from the News Broadcasting Association (NBA) agrees and adds, “Look at the cost for each broadcaster;  if he has to increase eight minutes of content per hour that is close to three hours of more content a day. Where will a broadcaster get so much money from when his ad revenue is going down? Even producers are going to demand more money as to produce a minute of content takes up a good one hour. There are 10,000 things that need to be done depending on the final decision…”

     

    The NBA official further elaborates, “As broadcasters we don’t know what to do. Everyone is saying different things, so who do we believe? What if a channel actually starts implementing changes and then they extend the date, it’ll be in a mess.”

     

     “We are happy that he’s understood our problem which is a genuine one and we hope that he will be able to convince TRAI. And we need take a decision soon,” say both the broadcasters.

     

    But what about other channels/genres? “One shoe for all is what I believe rather than two which might create confusion,” Lulla clarifies.

     

    To put forward advertisers’ viewpoint on the issue, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president Arvind Sharma elucidates, “AAAI has always supported the thought implementing the ad cap after we know what is the full impact of digitisation is known.”

     

    However, when we contacted a senior official from TRAI, he told us that they too haven’t received any official “recommendation” from the ministry about postponing the deadline, but have only read about it in new reports.

     

    In May 2013, TRAI had mandated that general entertainment TV channels (GECs) and news channels should reduce their advertising air time per hour from16 minutes and 20 minutes respectively to 12 minutes by 1 October 2013. The reason given by the authority was that the advertising clutter was resulting in a poor viewing experience for TV watchers.

     

    Industry is hoping the minister follows up his suggestion with a formal appeal to the TRAI. “The bullet has left the gun…,” says an official from the Indian Broadcasting Foundation who was caught in surprise by the minister’s statement that TRAI should posptone the ad cap until cable TV digitsation is completed in September 2014.

     

    “We haven’t received any communication from the ministry regarding this. And if we go by the communication we have received in the past few days, there seems to be a conflict,” he says sounding puzzled.

     

    In the past too, there have been many ups and downs in the broadcasting industry. The whole ratings tamasha which went on for a fortnight was resolved when the three stakeholders – Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) – finally came up with a solution of providing the television viewership in thousands (TVT) to media and public.

     

    We at Indiantelevision.com can only hope that the recommendation doesn’t boil down to another controversy, but has a happy ending. However, one does wonder why the statement was made. Do up-coming elections have anything to do with it? Let’s just wait and watch…

  • Colors continues to be top gainer at no 2, Star still leads the way in wk 30

    Colors continues to be top gainer at no 2, Star still leads the way in wk 30

    MUMBAI: After the two-week long conflict, the three bodies IBF, AAAI and ISA along with TAM came up with the consesus, last week. Hence, from now onwards the TAM TV ratings will appear in thousands, colloquially referred to as TVT (Television viewership in thousands). The TVTs are in terms of gross numbers.

    In week 30, Colors continues its steady climb in the ratings ladder, securing the no 2 position, as it added 34,469 TVT , taking its score to 455,603 TVT (421,134). Third placed, Zee TV, this week is the second highest gainer as it notched up 19,047 TVT taking its score to 321,762 TVT (340,809), according to the weekly ratings provided by a TV channel. Star Plus continues to be the leader even after losing 20,328 TVT taking its tally to 473,998 TVT (494,326). Sony ranked no 4 this week when it generated 315,840 TVT (319,613) followed by Sab as it shed 10,164 TVT taking its score to 299,761 TVT (309,925). Life OK lost 5,635 TVT taking its final score to 239,981 TVT (245,616). The data collected is for viewers in the CS4+, HSM markets.

    Lets take a closer look at how the shows fared this week. The numero uno Star Plus‘, Diya aur Baati Hum proved to be the star yet again, witnessing a slight growth and rated 9,133 TVT (9,121). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai decreased its reach taking its score to 6,114 TVT (6,936). Pyar Ka Dard Hai seems to lost audiences this week when it rated 5,939 TVT (6,330) and Saathiya registered 5,460 TVT (5,639). The reality show India‘s Dancing Superstars lost some of its viewership when it rated 3,673 TVT (3,916) on Saturday and 3,181 TVT (3,465) on Sunday.

    Colors‘ popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa attracted viewers on Saturday when it generated a 5,853 TVT (5,513) but failed to do so on Sunday when it registered 4,690 TVT (4,820). Fiction shows on Colors also seem to have caught the viewer‘s attention. Thus,Balika Vadhu witnessed a hike generating 8,018 TVT (6,175), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoonrated 4,822 TVT (4,526) and Uttaran rated 4,126 TVT (3,987). New show Comedy Nights with Kapil definitely has attracted viewers with his comedy and also constantly getting special guests to perform along with him on the show; it generated 6,352 TVT (5,537) on Saturday and Sunday. The new entrant on the channel Mrs Pammi Pyarelal rated 1,796 TVT (1,968).

    Zee TV‘s reality dance show DID Super Moms witnessed a huge hike, the reason being outstanding performances, rated 4,979 TVT (4,465) on Saturday and 4,233 TVT (4,125) on a Sunday. Its fictional offering Qubool Hai saw a rise when it rated 7,380 TVT (6,479). Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke though registered a slight growth taking its score to 4,472 TVT (4,232). The historical show Jodha Akbar shed to register 3,132 TVT (3,421).

    Fourth placed, Sony Entertainment Television‘s long running crime series seems to be lacking viewership this week. Thus, CID rated 5,169 TVT (5,451) and Crime Petrol rated 3,906 TVT (4,270). On the other hand, Comedy Circus ke Ajoobe Mahabali Audition witnessed a hike generating 2,955 TVT (2,652). The channel‘s historical show Maharana Pratap managed to remain close to its last week‘s ratings, generating 3,302 TVT (3,369). Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week. Sony‘s Indian Idol Juniordipped taking its score to 4,441 TVT (4,840) on Saturday and 3,850 TVT (4,064) on Sunday.

    Fifth placed, Sab‘s top chart fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 7,724 TVT (7,786). Chidiya Ghar lost when it scored 13,691 TVT (3,885). Wah Wah Kya Baat Hai saw an improvement in its score when it rated 1,465 TVT (1,312). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    Sixth placed, Life OK‘s top series Mahadev rated 3,074 TVT (3,530). The new fiction show Do Dil Ek Jaan scored 1,700 TVT (1,792). Savdhan India improved its score when it generated 2,523 TVT (2,236).

    Sahara One rated 33,964 TVT (35,413), but it still continues to be at the bottom.

    In the movie channels genre: Zee Cinema saw a hike, reporting 238,378 TVT (227,087); Star Gold rose to 203,238 TVT (198,044) and Movies OK was at 112,714 TVT (118,524). On the other hand, Max reported 215,075 TVT (215,985).

    All in all, week 30 saw most of the Hindi GECs losing some and winning some, and few still maintaining its loyal audiences. How will it fare next week, let‘s wait and watch.

  • The coming storm?

    The coming storm?

    MUMBAI: The two-week long standoff between IBF, AAAI and ISA finally ended mid-last week as the three constituents came up with a consensus. However, if one goes through it, it clearly appears that the three bodies bought in a forced peace.

     

    Industry watchers are asking how long before something else flares up. A big question mark still hangs over the ad rate hike which is expected to be made by broadcasters following the imposition of an ad cap by the TRAI. 1 October is not so very far away. Will advertisers, agencies and broadcasters sort out any moves in this direction in a calm composed manner? Or will they get into another round of fisticuffs?

     

    “Rate hike is a definite thing now. The more important question here is that by how much percentage it’s going to go up by. Channels, of course, can’t increase it at one go and hence, will do it in parts,” says a south Indian media planner, who didn’t wish to be named.

     

    Even another media planner from the city feels that it is market forces which will define by how much one can charge and how much will one pay. Most agree that with the new TAM viewership metric television viewership per thousand (TVT) coming soon, the channels will try to make the best of it.

     

    Almost everyone agrees that GECs will benefit when the ad cap comes into play. However, none of them wanted to comment on it. Whereas smaller channels were more than pleased to express what it could do for them.

     

    Sony Max senior vice-president and business head Neeraj Vyas told indiantelevision.com last week: “It is the biggest blessing that is going to happen to the genre. One needs to understand that the biggest problem for the genre is the time spent, so our time spent was close to around 65 to 68 minutes a week and 122 to 130 minutes for the GECs. Now there are clear reasons, GECs shows you original content everyday; and out here, there are repeats all the time. So now, if ads come down, ad time comes down, a viewer tends to stick on and watch more.”

     

    He further stated that the time is right for the movie channels to push for higher ad rates. “Traditionally, the Hindi movie channels have been sold at a a very low rate. The correction should have happened years ago, which did not happen. So probably this is the right time to make that switch. It is a survival issue for all.” (Read interview: “Bollywood is not making films suited for home viewing on TV today”)

     

    Agreeing with him, Food Food channel promoter Sanjeev Kapoor states as a matter-of-fact that someone will have to pay for it. And broadcasters cannot afford to pay, so either the viewers will pay or the brands will. “Fortunately for us, it’s not much of a problem because we are a new channel. In a new channel the inventory consumption is not 100 per cent in the beginning, it builds over time. So we are in a process of building that. And hence, our impact may be lower than others whose inventory consumption may be 100 per cent. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t be affected at all. I think older players, where time for ads is much higher, will be impacted by about 25 per cent. So either the brands will pay or both or it will be a three way split.”

     

    Even news channels which have filed an appeal with TDSAT regarding the ad cap feel that the only way ahead they can see is through a steep increase in ad rates. Zee News’ CEO Alok Agarwal feels that there could be a 70-100 per cent hike in the genre!

     

    The only party which will have to shell out money from their pockets is the advertisers. But they are trying to find a silver lining in the dark cloud.

     

    HDFC Life EVP – marketing & direct channels Sanjay Tripathy asserts, “At this moment there is a lot of speculation going on. Once the ad cap happens, we will be clear on what exactly the scenario will be. To be frank, it will be a demand and supply situation. Popular channels will quite likely get better price increments. The less popular ones will face a tough time. So just let’s wait for the right time and let’s not speculate more on this without knowing any facts.”

     

    Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing , vice-president (sales & marketing) Kamal Nandi says, “When you say that it would be tough on the advertisers, I would say there is a flipside to it that the TV viewing experience of viewers will improve on account of and less clutter. We are internally speaking to our media partners to develop an ROI to work out the cost vs benefit. Also, because of the reduced number of ads, the possibility of our commercial connecting and being viewed by the viewer at home will be higher.”

     

    While an industry expert feels that it is a complicated situation and keeping in mind the current economic scenario, it will be difficult to come up with a “solution” soon. “I wish it was simple. But no other country in the world has more than 650 channels that too in various languages catering to a very wide audience. Hence, all parties will have to sit and work on the economics of price, time, volume and content,” he explains.

     

    So can one expect fireworks again? He laughs and says, “The intelligent channels have already started working out things while others are waiting and will blame it on the market or industry.”

     

    For instance, the Sun Network announced a hike in ad rates of 19 per cent for its weekday prime time slots in late-May. Then Colors and Star India had said that it was taking up ad rates by 30 per cent and 20 per cent respectively in late May too. Colors CEO Raj Nayak last week told indiantelevision.com that advertisers had responded well to the increase in rates and the channel had managed an average uptick of between 12 and 18 per cent following the hike.

     

    Another expert from the opposite side of the table says, “It’s a flea market. Anyone can demand whatever they like, of course, depending on the ratings. And whoever is willing to shell out that much will advertise on it or else look for another option.”

     

    He goes on to clarify, “If by any chance there is a standoff, then I don’t expect collective action from the three associations, as prices are dictated by market forces and intervention is not something that will work.”

     

    Knowing the hyperactive Indian Broadcasting Foundation, don’t expect it to take things lying down in case advertisers and agencies stonewall broadcasters. Will it be fireworks before Diwali?

  • IBF, AAAI, ISA and TAM reach consensus on TV audience measurement

    IBF, AAAI, ISA and TAM reach consensus on TV audience measurement

    MUMBAI: Advertisers, agencies and broadcasters have worked closely and diligently over the last couple of weeks with TAM and are pleased to jointly announce their agreement.

    In layman terms, the media and public will now get to know television viewership in thousands, colloquially referred to as TVT. TVT captures and reflects growth in TV audiences in the country in absolute numbers. TVT will be the sole rating available in the public domain.
    For internal evaluation including planning and buying, %TVR weekly and all other data will be available to advertisers and advertising agencies as in the past. Broadcasters will also have access to this information, should they so desire.

    In addition an option of TVT as a four-week rolling average will be provided every week. The rolling average is statistically more stable data on viewership, especially for smaller audiences in niche channels, regional languages, English language programs and news.

    The three constituents have also agreed that TAM will make all future audience measurement changes based on inputs from the joint-industry BARC Technical Committee.

    Commenting on the changes IBF President Man Jit Singh said, “We are delighted to have reached this agreement. We believe it is important for the industry, and from the perspective of our social responsibility, we must reflect both the growing television audience and the data in a more stable and useful manner. We want to thank AAAI and ISA in collaborating and working out a solution acceptable to all constituents”.

    “As three concerned constituents who believe in working together, we have decided to refer all future currency related changes to the BARC technical committee. I am glad we will now have an effective guide and monitor for ratings in the country”, said Hemant Bakshi, Chairman of Media Committee and Managing Committee of the Indian Society of Advertisers.

    “Getting weekly TVR% is important for media planners and buyers to effectively plan and buy ad-spots and do mid-plan course corrections and post-facto analysis. We are glad that we have been able to agree that the agencies and advertisers will have access to this data as in the past. From tomorrow, we look forward to being able to focus back on our clients’ businesses and effective planning and buying for their brands”, said Arvind Sharma, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

    The Indian Society of Advertisers represents advertisers. The Advertising Agencies Association of India represents advertising agencies and the Indian Broadcasting Foundation represents television broadcasters. The three sector representatives have jointly agreed to take this forward.
    ISA

    The Indian Society of Advertisers, ISA, has been the peak national body for advertisers for 60 years and represents the interests of organisations involved in Indian advertising, marketing and media industry. It aims to protect consumers by ensuring advertising and marketing communications are conducted responsibly.
    AAAI

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India, AAAI, is the official national organisation of advertising agencies. It has a very large number of small, medium and large-sized agencies as its members, who together account for almost 80% of the advertising business in the country. It is recognised as the apex spokesperson for the advertising sector.
    IBF

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation, IBF, represents television broadcasters. It promotes and safeguards the interests of television broadcasters in an unbiased, non-partisan and relentless manner. It represents more than 85% of the total television broadcast viewership and revenues and in this responsible position, engages in meaningful dialogue toward consensus on contentious issues involving different stakeholders and providing incisive direction.

  • Colors the highest gainer in week 29 TAM ratings

    Colors the highest gainer in week 29 TAM ratings

    MUMBAI: As everyone waited for the standoff between IBF, AAAI and ISA to resolve, the channels went on to showcase their shows and advertisements. And before the issue could get a little murkier, the three bodies yesterday finally came up with a consensus. According to it, the media and public will now get to know television viewership in thousands, colloquially referred to as TVT. However till TAM updates its software, indiantelevision.com brings out the TAM ratings report provided by a TV channel, on how the channels fared in week 29 compared with week 28.

    Hindi GECs seem to be on the winning side in week 29 of TAM ratings as most of them saw a rise in their GRPs. Colors was the highest gainer taking its score to 207 GRPs (187 GRPs)and ranking number two this week.

    Star Plus continues to dominate the chart with a hike taking its tally to 243 GRPs (239 GRPs). Zee TV ranked number three marking its score to 158 GRPs (156 GRPs) followed by Sony with 157 GRPs (153 GRPs). Sab generated 152 GRPs (153 GRPs), while Life OK managed to remain stable scoring 121 GRPs (122 GRPs). Sahara One continued to remain in the bottom scoring 17 GRPs (16 GRPs).

    Coming back to Numero uno Star Plus, Diya aur Baati Hum proved to be the star yet again, witnessing huge hike, the show rated 4.5 TVR (3.7 last week). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai increased its reach taking its score to 3.4 TVR (3.0 last week). Pyar Ka Dard Hai witnessed a huge growth when it rated 3.1 TVR (2.3 last week) and Saathiya rated 2.8 TVR (2.7 last week). The reality show India‘s Dancing Superstars maintained its viewership when it rated 1.9 TVR on Saturday and 1.7 TVR on a Sunday.

    Colors popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa attracted viewers on Saturday when it generated a 2.7 TVR (2.1 TVR) and 2.4 TVR on Sunday (2.5 TVR). Fiction shows on Colors also seems to catch viewer‘s attention. Thus, Balika Vadhu witnessed a growth generating 3.0 TVR (2.7 TVR), Madhubala- Ek Ishq Ek Junoon rated 2.2 TVR (2.0 TVR) andUttaran rated 2.0 TVR (1.9 TVR). New comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil saw a slight rise 2.7 TVR (2.6 TVR) on Saturday and Sunday. The new entrant on the channel Mrs Pammi Pyarelal rated 1.0 TVR.

    Zee TV‘s reality dance show DID Super Moms managed to rate 2.2 TVR (2.0 last week) on Saturday and 2.0 TVR (2.1 last week) on a Sunday. Its fictional offering Qubool Hai saw a drop when it rated 3.2 TVR (3.4 last week). Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke though registered a slight growth taking its score to 2.1 TVR (1.9 last week). The historical show Jodha Akbar generated 1.7 TVR (1.5 last week).

    Fourth placed, Sony Entertainment Television‘s long running crime series seems to be enjoying the attention of its viewers. Thus CID witnessed a slight growth as it rated 2.7 TVR (2.5 last week) and Crime Petrol rated 2.1 TVR (1.8 last week). On the other hand, Comedy Circuske Ajoobe rated 1.3 TVR (1.5 last week). The channel‘s historical show Maharana Pratap saw an improvement generating 1.7 TVR (1.6 last week).

    Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week. Sony‘s Indian Idol Junior (IIJ) notched up its rating taking its score to 2.4 TVR (1.7 last week) on Saturday and rated 2.0 TVR (1.9 last week) on Sunday.

    Fifth placed, Sab‘s top chart fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 3.8 TVR (3.6 TVR). Chidiya Ghar lost points when it scored 1.9 TVR (2.1 last week). Lapataganj saw a 0.1 improvement in its score when it rated 1.3 TVR (1.2 last week). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    Sixth placed, Life OK‘s top series Mahadev rated 1.7 TVR (1.6 last week). The new fiction showDo Dil Ek Jaan maintained its stability scoring 0.8 TVR. Savdhan India generated 1.1 TVR (1.2 last week). Shapath showed some improvement when it rated 1.4 TVR (1.2 last week).

    Sahara rated 17 GRPs (16 last week), but it still continues to be at the bottom.

    In the movie channels genre: Zee Cinema saw a drop, reporting 112 GRPs (121 last week); Star Gold fell to 98 TVR (103 last week and Movies OK was at 58 GRPs (60 last week). On the other hand, Max reported 106 GRPs (110 last week).

    All in all, week 29 saw most of the Hindi GECs losing some and winning some, but still maintaining its loyal audiences. How will it fare next week, let‘s wait and watch.

  • TAM clarifies on weekly/monthly ratings rollout

    TAM clarifies on weekly/monthly ratings rollout

    MUMBAI: One stakeholder to be quite delighted with the fact that advertisers, broadcasters and agencies have sorted out their differences on TV ratings is undoubtedly TAM Media Research which has been at the centre of the entire controversy. The ratings agency sent out a note late 25 July evening which has a spokesperson saying: “TAM is happy to receive a common brief from the three Industry Stakeholders (IBF, ISA and AAAI) and will work very closely with them to ensure its smooth roll out.”

    The note goes on to describe how the ratings solution will work in the real world in terms of data delivery. Three software pipelines are in the process of being put in place: an official industry software called Media Xpress Platinum and another two customised/optional software options called Media Xpress Gold and Media Xpress Silver. Until these roll out, the existing Media Xpress will be provided to TAM subscribers with TVR percentage and GRPs percentage data.

    The Media Xpress Platinum software has to be created afresh and is expected to be made available to all subscribers who want to download it by end August first week September. It will have all TV channels viewerships expressed as an average of four weeks data. The latter will be released every with the rolled up average of the present week’s along with the previous three week’s data. Ratings in this version will be expressed only as TVT 000’s (TV ratings in thousands) and analysis will be possible only on a day-part level. No individual/specific program level data will be available for reporting.

    The Media Xpress Gold customized/optional software, which will be made available by 8 August, however, will have all TV channels reported on a weekly basis with data being released weekly. It is meant for internal analysis, says TAM, and not to be put out in the media/public domain.

    The user will get access to the software only after signing an NDA with ISA-IBF-AAI jointly. This data will have ratings data expressed in TVT 000’s as well as TVR per centages. This software will have all the analysis possible at a day-part as well as individual program level, including minute to minute program and ad data. It will have also have the facility to import ad spots for media agencies/advertisers to evaluate ad plans executed.

    It will be released on a customized basis for those subscribers like agencies/advertisers (and also broadcasters who have not opted out of the reporting of TVR% data presently). It will work exactly like the earlier Media Xpress with all functionalities available for the planner/buyer, says TAM

    The Media Xpress Silver option is expected to be deployed by 8 August with TV channels being reported on weekly, with data expressed in TVT 000’s, being released weekly. Users will be able to use the software to do analysis at a day-part as well as individual program level, including ability to drill down to individual program’s minute data on a specific day.

    It will have the facility to import the program promos for broadcasters to evaluate the program promo plans and also the ad logs. It will be released on a customized basis for those subscribers (primarily Broadcasters) who have opted out of the reporting of TVR% data.

    TAM has clarified that all subscribers will be given the Media Xpress Platinum Software. To subscribe to Media Xpress Gold and Silver additionally, they will have to take the following steps, TAM sasys: (a) The subscriber will have to sign a NDA with TAM stating that the usage of Media Xpress Gold (with TVR%) customized Software is strictly for internal analysis purpose and not for any public usage of the data. (b) Incase of non-signing of the NDA, TAM will not be in a position to deliver Media Xpress Gold (with TVR%) customized software.

    TAM will be notifying the same to the concerned association (IBF/AAAI/ISA) to help facilitate a resolution. (c) For subscribers who sign the NDA and violate the usage norm (displaying TVR% data in Public), TAM will be forced to stop the Media Xpress Gold (with TVR%) customized software subscription and will report it to the concerned association (IBF/AAAI/ISA) to help facilitate a resolution.